A scientist does a study in which he manipulates the presence of a microbe that lives in the plant roots. He shows that, when the microbe is present, the plant sends extra sugars to the roots, thus costing the plants valuable resources. Based on this, what can you conclude?

A) The microbe in the roots is a commensal
B) It is not possible to conclude whether the microbe is a parasite, mutualist, or commensal based on the available information.
C) The microbe in the roots is a mutualist
D) The microbe in the roots is a parasite

Parasitic plants infer part or the entirety of their supplements from another living plant. The parasites of the family Orobanchaceae append to the roots of their hosts and draw supplements from the vascular tissue.

In this study, the parasite in the roots makes the plant send extra sugars to the roots, thus costing the plants valuable resources.

nalleitenw nalleitenw · Answer 2 · 2020-03-26T12:54:53+01:00

The correct answer is letter D

In order to survive and acquire the nutrients necessary for its existence, in addition to rich soil, the plant undergoes the process of photosynthesis. Parasitic plants, also known as holoparasites, do not. They need other plants for their survival, their leaves being either null or reduced to small yellowish scales. Parasitic plants developed suction organs that penetrate the conductive bundles of the host plant. Many parasitic species are underground or live within the tissues of another plant and only at the time of flowering do they become visible to the outside, developing some beautiful colored flowers.